By Bernie Whitmore

Squire Whites
347 Greenwood Street, Worcester
508-752-7544
www.squirewhites.com

Ever have one of those nights where you’re in the mood to eat out ~ to enjoy a hearty, comforting meal with all the fixin’s ~ but you can’t really decide on where? I have a suggestion for you. Head to Squire Whites, it fits the bill perfectly. The moment we began to scan our menus, we knew we had made the right choice. A feeling of calm washed over us…

Squire Whites occupies most of a strip mall; the setting sun streamed through the front wall of glass. The dining room forms a large U around a central bar/lounge area. I didn’t sense a theme to the decorations; a sombrero here, a grouping of mirrors there and a scattering of lotto paraphernalia are what draw your attention when you’re distracted from what’s going on at your table: friends, family and food.

The cuisine is similarly diverse. There’s a page of burgers and sandwiches (turkey club, Mom’s meatloaf, and Philly Steak are just a few). Then there are sections of Italian and American/Comfort (everything from Mac-n-Cheese to lobster and, on Tuesdays, prime rib). They even have an item called ‘I Can’t Decide!’ for, I guess, the indecisive amongst us.

When it came to our drink order, I could decide. I deemed their selection of draft beer praiseworthy and started with a glass of Blue Moon, a spicy wheat ale brewed with orange and coriander. Squire Whites served it with the traditional orange slice.

We started the meal itself with an order of Crab Snappers ~ eight spheres of crab cakeness served on a bed of chopped lettuce. Think two-bite crab cakes ~ flecked with bits of green and red bell pepper ~ that are deep-fried golden brown and crispy on the outside. The menu didn’t prepare us for the cup of spicy remoulade sauce ~ I can’t remember having better.

When it came to entrees, my guest was faced with lobster options: soft shell or hard shell. He went with the boiled twin soft shells (less money, easier meat access). But soft shells also contain room for growth so you get a bit less meat than the same size hard shell lobster. Enough armchair science. Squire Whites’ lobsters were juicy and sweet ~ so soft the meat from each leg was easily extracted from its shell.

Keeping with the theme of messy fingers, I ordered the Half-Rack of Ribs dinner. Slathered with sticky sweet sauce, they were so tender the meat fell away from the bones. I paired them with a glass of draft Magic Hat #9. This is another pale golden brew I occasionally find on tap ~ it’s famous for a hint of apricot flavor and fine carbonation. My meal came with a bowl of delicious creamy coleslaw, another sign that Squire Whites pays attention to every crunchy detail.

Our entrees came with real French fries ~ obviously real because they were irregularly sliced and still had some peels. They’re so much better than the extruded French-fry “product” that has taken over the food industry. I call them “extruded” because they appear to be crushed and sprayed out of a nozzle with some foaming agent. Squire Whites’ fries retain their real potato flavor and texture.

I’d gone with the half-rack rather than full-rack of ribs to preserve some appetite for dessert. But, given that the only options were two different cheesecakes and I am not a fan of the breed, I decided to bypass dessert. The Magic Hat came close enough.

Food, service and good value ruled on this mid-week evening. Will I go back? Not only YES, but Squire Whites has joined my short list of favorites in the pub-sports-bar category.